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<title>Never call any man fortunate by Khoshekh42</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703661">Never call any man fortunate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khoshekh42/pseuds/Khoshekh42'>Khoshekh42</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Adventure Zone (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Tenderness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:02:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>979</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703661</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khoshekh42/pseuds/Khoshekh42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Taako's had a good life. <br/>But that life's had more bumps and bruises than any life should have.<br/>In which Taako gets a firsthand experience with lasting trauma.</p>
<p>TW for an anxiety attack.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>80</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Never call any man fortunate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Taako’s had a good life, he would be the first to say it. There were good times and bad times, just as any life has, even if those polar opposites of his were more extreme than most people’s. Taako would even consider himself a fortunate man, even with all he’s been through. He has a beloved sister, her dorky but sweet husband, and he has the most beautiful man he’s ever met as a partner that he’ll have in life and eventually, in death. He has a <em>family</em> with his favorite people in all of the planes, all of the planar systems in all of reality. And finally, <em>finally</em>, he has a home. Something he never expected to have. It’s not as luxurious or extravagant as the houses that he and Lup would imagine when they were kids, but for everything it is, it is his <em>home.</em></p>
<p>And yet…</p>
<p>Taako walks into the living room of he and Kravitz’s home, Kravitz fiddling with a radio that had been dead for years now. Taako feels lucky as he hands this man a glass, sipping his own mimosa.</p>
<p>He smiles softly at this man who, by all accounts, shouldn’t be sitting on the floor of a home, brows furrowed as he can’t quite get a radio to work.</p>
<p>Kravitz thanks Taako for the drink as Taako sits in the comfortably squishy recliner that Kravitz had gotten, claiming it was for himself, but even Taako knew that it was a gift for him. Taako will never claim that he likes the chair, despite the overwhelming evidence that he does.</p>
<p>In this moment, Taako feels totally at peace.</p>
<p>Until something happens in Kravitz’s radio, and loud static comes through the speakers.</p>
<p>Taako drops his drink.</p>
<p>The glass shatters on the ground.</p>
<p>And Taako feels <em>fear</em>.</p>
<p>Kravitz turns his head towards Taako, who can see words forming on his lips, but the only thing Taako can hear is the static.</p>
<p>Only the static.</p>
<p>Frantically, he recalls Lup. Her face swims into view in his mind’s eye. There’s a brief feeling of relief, but it is quickly quashed by the static, ever-present now, seemingly growing louder and louder.</p>
<p>He thinks of them all. Lup and Barry, Magnus and Merle, Lucretia and Davenport.</p>
<p>Then he thinks of Angus, of Carey and Killian, of every person he can think of to try to remember. Growing more and more panicked that he might be forgetting someone important to him.</p>
<p>He thinks of Kravitz, who has stood now and is holding Taako’s hand, shouting something that Taako can’t quite hear, or maybe he just can’t process it.</p>
<p>But most of all he thinks of Lup.</p>
<p>Taako can feel tears in his eyes, flowing down his face.</p>
<p>He can feel Kravitz’s hand now grabbing his face.</p>
<p>He sees him trying to follow where Taako is staring, in terror, at the radio.</p>
<p>As Kravitz sees the radio, Taako—who can now feel his throat start to close up as if he’d eaten something he was allergic to, as if he is dying.</p>
<p><em>Is </em>he dying? Taako wonders this, an almost calm thought through all of his panic, feeling almost out of his body as he stares at Kravitz trying to get the static to stop.</p>
<p>The scene in front of him seems to play out in slow motion.</p>
<p>The panic on Kravitz’s face only feuls Taako’s own panic.</p>
<p>He knows it’s just the radio making the noise, but it has to be something, <em>someone </em>has to be <em>gone </em>to him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Who is he forgetting?</em>
</p>
<p>Kravitz stands from where he lies it on the floor, and he stomps on it.</p>
<p>And the living room is silent, but for Taako’s quick and heavy breathing.</p>
<p>“Taako!” Kravitz says, and finally Taako <em>hears </em>him.</p>
<p>“Taako!” Kravitz repeats, “What’s going on, can you hear me, are you okay?” Kravitz is spewing out questions.</p>
<p>“Lup.” Taako croaks out, “Lup, is Lup okay?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Kravitz says, calming down just a little bit now that Taako is speaking to him.</p>
<p>Taako relaxes, “It was the radio.” He says.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Kravitz doesn’t seem to know why Taako reacted that way to the static, but he’s concerned nonetheless.</p>
<p>Taako lets go of the armchair, which he hadn’t realized that he was gripping so hard. He wipes his face, and he takes a shaky breath.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Kravitz asks again, softer.</p>
<p>“I… don’t know.” Taako answers truthfully. “I just… the static.”</p>
<p>“What about the static?” Kravitz seems hesitant to go into it, in case he hurts Taako further.</p>
<p>“That’s… the voidfish. When it blocked something that you’re trying to remember… you get static.” Taako explains slowly, as he tries to catch his breath.</p>
<p>Kravitz’s face falls, and he clearly understands now what Taako had panicked about, why he’d asked about Lup.</p>
<p>“Fuck, Taako, I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p>“’S’not your fault.” Taako mumbles, suddenly feeling foolish for how he’d reacted.</p>
<p>“Hey, don’t feel bad. You’ve clearly had a lot of trauma, that’s not easy to get through.” Kravitz tells him. <br/>“Can I touch you?” He asks.</p>
<p>When Taako nods, Kravitz puts a hand over Taako’s and gently moves Taako’s chin up so that Kravitz can look him in the eye.</p>
<p>“You’re amazing, Taako. I have <em>never </em>in my life, and my undeath, ever met someone as amazing as you.” Kravitz’s words are comforting as he says them, and Taako lets them soothe him.</p>
<p>“You know I love you, Taako,” His words are tender, “I love you in your entirety. And what you’ve been through is part of you. I love <em>you</em>. Just know that.”</p>
<p>“I love you too.” Taako mutters, and with that he starts to cry, and allows Kravitz to wrap his arms around him in a sweet and soft embrace.</p>
<p>Taako doesn’t trust easily, but for now, he lets his guard down, and lets Kravitz into his life wholly and unabashedly.</p>
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